When Myth becomes Reality
by Spooked101
Summary: A young boy always dreamed of exploring the ocean, and to try and find the origin source of these strange red markings along his arms and face. As he's growing up, his markings are dismissed and he's told to not worry about them. So for the next 10 years he does, until his eighteenth birthday. The day that would change his life forever, when he meets a creature that was always deem
1. Introductions

_The ocean is a wide and mysterious place. Its filled with strange plants and creatures, some that have even been regarded as myth and fiction. I should know, I'm one of those creatures._

 _The name's Lance, I'm a merman. Yeah, that's right, a merman. It sounds really strange, I know, but trust me the merfolk do exist. I wasn't always like this, a half human half fish being that resides in the ocean. Nope, I was cursed by my now greatest mentor, Shiro. Shiro is a bit of a grump, he works himself to the point of exhaustion, yet still won't give himself a break. More on the curse later, I have friends to introduce._

 _First up is my best friend Hunk, the resident cook for all of us. Hunk usually joins me on my exploration expeditions, after a lot of complaining of course. Out of the four of us, he's the biggest. Hunk is taller and just bulkier, but don't let that fool you, he can out swim me! I'm the fastest in our group! From what he told us, Hunk came from somewhere very far from the ocean, he was cursed and turned by accident. Whenever he gets nervous, he messes with his bright yellow bandana that he fashioned out of some spongy coral. Around his waist, or the start of his tail, he wears a little belt made out of seaweed. He says that it's for holding random items he finds but I know him better than that. Our lovable Hunk is just self conscious because his is bigger than the rest of us. I tell him not to worry about it though, him being different is what makes us such good friends!_

 _Next in our group is Pidge, or Pidgeon. She hates being called Pidgeon but I can get away with it since she somewhat likes me. If it weren't for the wrap around her chest, I would've never known that she was a girl! That statement got me slapped one day, but I guess I deserved it. Pidge does a lot of odd jobs around our little haven. She takes care of the gardens, she helps with any architecture, and she helps with some of the more political things in the capital. Pidge's brother, Matt, is like Shiro's right hand man, so she gets to be right in the action with politics. Pidge has roughly chopped, short ginger hair, her bangs are typically pinned back with some sort of clip she fashioned out of a sea urchin spine. Her tail is a bright green, which contrasts with Hunk's soft orange one. Side by side, they look like those traffic lights humans have. Pidge and Matt have a very strange feature about them though, well the rest of our society thinks it's strange, I find it unique and fitting. They have webbing in-between their fingers! Not enough to prevent them from doing their jobs, but just enough to make it noticeable. I always compliment Pidge on it but she shrugs it off while smiling, I think that the praise for her difference really helps with her self-esteem._

 _Third to the batting range is Shiro. Shiro is the guy that unintentionally cursed us and made us become merpeople. From what he's told us, when he was younger, there was this witch that gave him the power to turn people into mermaids or mermen. In a time of high stress, he kinda let out a shockwave that affected me, Hunk, Pidge and Matt, plus two others that have yet to show up. We all turned that day, castaway from our human lives. Anyways, Shiro is the head guy for all of us, plus the others. He runs all of the political issues and any dangerous situations that come up. Like I said, this guy overworks himself, a lot. Shiro has a very monotone color scheme. His tail was modeled after an angelfish, the black and white stripes started from the base of his tail, all the way to the tip of his fins. His hair has a white patch in the front, while the rest is black. Very monotone, but still unique. I try to help out our merdad as much as I can, but I fear that sometimes I just get in the way. Shiro and Matt are really close too, they work together all the time and even live with each other!_

 _Last but not least, is me, Lancey Lance! I'm the fastest swimmer out of my group of friends, and probably the most supportive. I'm kinda shunned in our little haven though, just because of the markings I have on my arms and face. The almost neon blue markings are all over my biceps and cheeks, like the equivalent of human freckles. My tail is the same color, but with a darker blue towards the end of my tail, like the gradient of the ocean. Something always felt off about these markings though… like they were missing something to complete them. My hair is also the best out of the group, not trying to brag. The coffee colored strands somehow make it into my face when I'm not swimming. I also sparkle the most out of everyone. Only because I remember to get my beauty sleep and moisturize, it's so important when you live in salt water!_

 _Alright, introductions over. There is a story to tell here, one of a forbidden love between human and merman. I can't give too much away though, that would spoil everything! Let me set up the scene for you though._

 _A young boy always dreamed of exploring the ocean, and to try and find the origin source of these strange red markings along his arms and face. As he's growing up, his markings are dismissed and he's told to not worry about them. So for the next 10 years he does, until his eighteenth birthday. The day that would change his life forever, when he meets a creature that was always deemed a myth, a legend._


	2. 10 Years Ago

Chapter 2

10 years ago

The child loved sitting at the edge of the sand, watching the gentle waves rock back and forth. Its was his eighth birthday today, and he had finally gotten a break from the constant screaming that ended up being his birthday party. The child smiled softly to himself and walked out into the water. When it reached his knees, he stopped and just stared out into the open water. What he didn't know, was that a young creature was observing him from afar.

The child was suddenly called, which made him reluctantly leave the cool water. His mother sighed and leaned her hip against the door frame as the boy ran to her. The child's eyes lit up when he reached her, the purple grey orbs shined with love. His mother picked him up and ruffled his hair, it was starting to look like a mullet, which made the woman snicker. As they wrapped up the last legs of the birthday party, the young child caught sight of a bright blue tail dash into the water, then a hint of mocha colored skin. He would have to check that out tomorrow, before his mother or father woke up. "Keith! Say goodbye to your friends. Then let's get ready for bed." His father drawled, his slight Texan accent just peeking through. Keith obeyed and finished his day, excited for his morning adventure.

The next morning, Keith snuck out of his house without making a sound. The boy ran through the sand to the end of the miniature dock. After making sure he was alone, he started clicking his tongue. A few minutes passed, and nothing happened. Keith was starting to lose hope until he heard a soft clicking from under the dock. He gasped and layed down on his stomach, desperate to see what had responded to him. Through the gaps in the wood, he saw a neon blue marking and a dark blue eye surrounded by mocha skin staring back at him.

Keith yelped and stood up, nearly losing his balance and falling off the little dock. The creature popped it's head out. Small hands gripped the wood as it slowly lifted itself to show off more markings, almost identical to Keith's. "You have the marks too." Keith said softly while crouching. The creature blinked before tilting it's head to the side. "Mine are blue. Yours are red." The thing muttered. Keith's eyes lit up as he nodded. The creature smiled and held out a small hand. "I'm Lance. I like to swim around here and watch the humans!" Lance grinned. Keith thought for a moment before shaking Lance's hand and introducing himself back.

"What did you mean by humans? Aren't you a human too?" Keith asked. Lance went silent before giving a toothy grin. Lance dipped underwater before pulling himself fully up onto the dock, his brightly colored tail curling delicately next to him.

"I'm only part human! See this tail? I swim around everywhere. I can even breathe underwater!" Lance giggled. Keith was shocked, the only time he had heard about creatures like this was in story books. "This is… real?" Keith asked, his eyes wide with curiosity. Lance nodded, grabbed Keith's hand, and gently placed it on his tail. Keith ran his hand down the smooth scales, awe was written all over his face. That is… it was until his father ran out carrying some sort of gun with a big hook in it.

"Get away from him!" His father yelled while aiming the gun straight at Lance's tail. Keith gasped and moved his small body in front of his new friend, hoping to protect him in some way. "Get out of the way Keith! This is not a good creature!" His father growled while slowly pressing down on the trigger.

Torn on what to do, Keith remained in front of Lance. His father growled and aimed just to the side of Keith, but his balance suddenly gave out and he stumbled right into the path of the harpoon. The sharp metal grazed Keith's arm, slicing open a good portion of it. Then it landed right on one of Lance's fins. The boys screeched in pain, Keith fell off the dock while clutching his arm. Lance yanked the harpoon out of his fin and quickly disappeared into the cold water.

Keith's father rushed to his son's side and quickly rushed him to the nearby hospital. Keith never saw Lance again, since that day. A large scar covered Keith's bicep, reminding him that no one could be trusted, even in his happiest moments. Lance had trouble swimming for a few weeks after the incident, but once he recovered the first thing the boy did was check for Keith.

But Keith never showed up to the little dock. His father had moved them away after his mother suddenly left. Lance waited for everyday for months, but when his human friend with the same markings never showed up, he began to regret talking to the boy. Little did Lance know, however, is that Keith would always find a way to the ocean and stare out across the horizon, waiting for the familiar flash of bright blue.

 _This was years ago though. I hate bringing up the memory but strange things have been happening lately. My markings started to glow once Keith's 18th birthday passed. They glow bright sometimes but then it just fades. I can only wonder if he is experiencing the same._


	3. Back Home

**Keith's POV**

 **Present day**

It had been years since I was back home. After the incident with my father when I was eight, we moved. The house was never bought, so the lot became abandoned and overgrown. The grass crunched under my shoes as I walked up to the front door. The wind blew gently, carrying a salty scent with it. A slight smile ghosted my lips as I inhaled, I missed the smell of the ocean.

The door took a few hits with my shoulder to open. After shining a light in the dimly lit house, I walked inside. Memories flooded back as soon as I crossed the threshold, the faint sounds of childish laughter echoed in my ears. Shaking off the memories, I walked further into the house. Broken glass and sand crunched under my shoes as I explored, taking in the empty house. On the old kitchen counter sat the harpoon gun that my father had used to scare the boy with the tail away from me. I shrugged off my sweater and laid it on top of the weapon, my marks and scar on full display now.

I took one last look at the interior of the house and walked out the back door, towards the old dock. It was still standing, which was kind of surprising. I walked closer to the old thing and more memories came back to me. The screams of pain from both me and the boy when the hook struck us. Wincing, I walked closer, placing a gentle step on the old wood. After deeming it stable enough, I walked out to the edge of the dock and stared at the ocean waves. The water was calm today, just like when I had met the boy officially. His name kept escaping my mind, it was hard to remember what it was after 10 years. I quickly took off my boots and rolled up my jeans, then dunked my feet into the cold water. I sighed and leaned back onto my elbows. I won't lie and say that I'm not kinda expecting the boy to show up. Though it has been years since we last saw each other, I'm sure he forgot about me. I laughed to myself sharply and stared up at the gloomy sky. It's my eighteenth birthday today, why I decided to come back to this place, I have no clue. I just felt drawn to this place, ever since I left.

I sighed once more and pulled out my phone and earbuds from my pocket. After struggling to untangle the cord, I plugged them into the device and turned on some quiet music to listen to while I enjoyed the peaceful ocean.

 **Lance POV**

 **Present day, somewhere near the old dock**

I was so obviously faster than Shiro, even when I wasn't even trying! The guy had challenged me to a race, starting from the central building to the old dock near the beach. I had swam this length multiple times over for years! Good thing Shiro didn't know that! I cackled happily as I heard him groan and try to catch up to me. I was a good few feet in front of him, but he was starting to slow down from exhaustion. I paused for a second and flicked my fins at him while giggling. Shiro shot a nasty glare at me and swam faster, quickly catching up.

I resumed my original speed and made him eat my bubbles! Shiro stopped suddenly while looking up towards the surface. We had made it to the old dock, but something was off. There was a pair of human feet swaying in the water. I looked back at Shiro in curiosity, no one had been here in years. "Lance, don't investigate." The older man said while tugging at his white tuft of hair. I looked back at the feet then back at Shiro before swimming next to him. "Shiro who could that be? No one has been here in years!" I hissed while pointing at the human limbs. The man shrugged and frowned while turning back towards home. "I'll go get Matt then investigate further. Though Lance… have your markings always glowed like that?" Shiro asked.

I looked down at my arms and discovered that the markings were in fact glowing a bright blue. A sudden splashing made both me and Shiro turn back towards the dock, where the feet had disappeared and a faint shouting could be heard. I spied a dull red glow, but decided to not say anything to Shiro, he wouldn't understand why I was so curious about it. Before I could say anything, the man had shot off towards home, leaving me and the feet alone.

I swam under the dock. My blue eyes peered up through the gaps in the wood to see a pale guy brushing frantically at his arms. The red glow originated from his arms, it looked like. I lifted my head out of the water and pressed it closer to the wood, trying to see more. The boy stopped brushing his arms and stared down into my eyes, pointing frantically and moving his mouth without a sound. _I'm screwed aren't I?_

 **Keith's POV**

 **After freaking out about his glowing arms and face**

There was a pair of eyes staring up at me through the dock. It had to be the boy from all those years ago! The eyes matched the ones in my memory! I cleared my throat and crouched down, staring directly into the pair of blue eyes. "Hello? Are you going to keep staring or are you going to take a picture?" I asked sarcastically. The eyes suddenly disappeared with a splash, I quickly turned towards the edge of the dock and was met with those blue eyes again. "Mierda santa, it is you! From all those years ago!" The eyes muttered, a slight spanish accent tinted its voice. I chuckled and nodded, confirming that it was the boy I had met that day.

"What does mierda santa mean?" I asked, completely butchering the language. The eyes chuckled and closed for a second before meeting mine again. "It means holy shit. I didn't expect to meet you here again after all these years." I looked back at the old house and smiled softly. "I decided to come back for my birthday. I felt drawn to the dock." I mumbled. The eyes scrunched up in soft laughter before the rest of their owner was revealed. Lance had grown up since they had seen each other.

His mocha skin was sparkled with water droplets, his hips and arms were nicely toned, a small shell necklace sat against his collarbone, accentuating his thin but toned shoulders. I gulped and turned away before he could notice the pink splotching my cheeks. A dull thump echoed in my ears as Lance hoisted his tail up and curled it neatly next to him. "Your marks are still there…" Lance said softly. I turned back toward him and nodded, noticing that there was a dull glow emanating from his arms.

Lance smiled and patted the spot next to him. I sat down carefully and hugged my knees against my chest, my eyes locking on his tail. "You have a scar?" I asked bluntly. Lance coughed on air and nodded while hitting his chest. I laughed at his reaction and showed him my pale arm. A similar scar was visible, so much so that it still looked fresh. Lance's fingers brushed over it softly, spreading the leftover water from his hands onto my arm. We sat like that for a while before I awkwardly stood up and pointed to the house. "I was going to fix up the old house and live there again. Maybe you can stay close?" I asked. Lance grinned and his blue eyes lit up, causing my breath to hitch. He nodded frantically and hugged my legs before coughing.

The boy quickly dashed into the water and stayed under for a minute before surfacing again. "Sorry about that, if I stay out of the water for too long it feels like my tail is tearing in half!" He explained. I shrugged and crouched back down, noticing a strange white and orange fluff on the surface of the water. "Um… Lance what is that?" I asked while pointing behind him. Lance looked behind him and widened his eyes in fear. "I'LL MEET YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW SORRY BYE!" He shouted frantically before diving back under the water.

Confused as all hell, I grabbed my shoes and slipped them back on before walking back to the house. The glowing in my arms started up again as soon as I left the dock, which was puzzling. I shrugged it off and walked to my car to grab a sleeping bag and my tools. I had a lot of work ahead of me to get this house in living conditions again. Thankfully I had a few thousand stored away in a bank account that I could use for appliances and food. I would have to get a job in town eventually but, I wanted to cross that bridge once I got the house back up and running. After walking back inside, I went back to my old room and set up my sleeping bag. I burrowed into it and stared at the ceiling, tomorrow was another day on my own, I could only hope that Lance would show up again.


	4. A Day with Lance

Lance POV

I groaned and stretched my arms over my head, wincing at the ray of sunlight that landed directly in my eyes. The seahorse I keep in my home sat on the top of my pillow, stretching itself before floating upwards. I chuckled to myself and gently pet the gelatinous creature. While yawning, I slowly rolled out of bed. The seahorse, properly named Jelly, made a soft purring noise before following me. I swam out of my room and into the common area, where Shiro, Hunk, and Matt were all sitting around talking. Pidge was sleeping, her ginger locks rested against her brother's tail. I waved to the group as I went over to the kitchen area to search for food.

"There's some food on the table over here. C'mon over." Hunk said with a soft smile. I nodded and took a seat in a cushioned shell across from Matt and Pidge. Shiro gave a small smile before his face turned stoic. "Why did you go investigate the human yesterday? I told you not to." His voice was hard and disapproving. I shrugged and sat up, sensing this was not a time to joke around. "I thought I recognized him, and it turns out I did!" I explained, smiling at the thought of Keith. _I should try to visit him later today, I'm sure he could use the company._ I thought to myself while Matt placed a gentle hand on Shiro's arm. "Lance, doing that is dangerous. What if it was the man that shot you?!" The older man asked.

I froze and scoffed, hurt that he would bring that day up. "That was in the past Shiro. I would've gotten out of there if Keith wanted to hurt me!" I blurted. Hunk looked down and Matt shook his head, then gently brushed Pidge's hair when she stirred. Shiro shot up and towered over me, his eyes glowing an unnatural shade of purple. I cowered in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest to protect it. "You. Will not. Go up to the surface again. That boy, that HUMAN, is dangerous. It doesn't matter if he isn't his father, all humans are the same." Shiro's voice was a harsh hiss. I glared at the man and nodded before darting off, far into town near the library.

It's like Shiro was never curious! Silently threatening to use his power on me wasn't exactly the best part either. In an attempt to get away, I darted into the library and ran straight into Coran and my main pet, Blue. The marvelously mustached man dropped his stack of books when my shoulder rammed into him. "Oh gosh Coran! I'm so sorry, here let me help…" I apologized as I quickly helped him get his books. The man chuckled and pushed Blue towards me. "No need to worry lad, it's just a couple of books for Allura. She has been antsy ever since Shiro told us about the human living at the beach." I winced at the mention of Shiro's name but brushed it off when Blue nuzzled my cheek. I smiled and gently pet the shark while offering more help to Coran. We picked up the books and I left the library with him, my mood slowly improving.

I followed Coran to his shared home with Allura but didn't go in. Allura wasn't exactly my biggest fan, I'm not sure why. Blue and I left their home and drifted along past town. I didn't want to go home and face Shiro, I knew I would just get even more pissed. My fingers brushed against brightly colored flowers and fish. I hummed softly to myself and smiled at Blue, the leopard shark nuzzled my cheek in response.

Without realizing it, I had ended up right at the dock. I could hear a faint whining noise from the surface, which was strange. I grabbed the edge of the wood and pulled myself out of the water. The first thing I saw was Keith, shirtless, with some sort of tool that was cutting a large board of wood. My eyes widened as I took in the sight. His back was covered entirely with a spacey theme, done in some sort of colored ink. His arms were nicely toned, probably from lifting wood boards like that. His shoulders were freckled, which was so adorable. His pale skin contrasted with the red markings up and down his arms. I coughed softly and rested my chin on my hands. Watching him work was hypnotic, it made me dream of being able to go up on land and run my hands along that back, the colors, his arms. I wanted to trace every marking, gently touch the scar that I had inadvertently caused, I wanted to kiss every freckle on those damn shoulders.

I quickly snapped out of my thoughts and blushed. I had never wanted to go on land before, let alone do all of… _that_ to someone. Keith turned the tool off and puffed out his cheeks as he lifted the board and set it against the broken house. I watched in amazement as he did this, focusing on how the muscles in his arms worked, and his cute cheeks! Keith turned around and noticed me at the dock and waved happily.

I blushed again and waved back, almost losing my grip on the planks. Blue nuzzled my tail and looked up at me from the water, which gave me an idea. Keith jogged over to the dock and sat down, that smile still dusting his lips. "Hey! Can you go to the beach? I want to introduce someone to you!" I said while grinning. Keith nodded and started walking towards the sand while I dipped back down into the water. I took some deep breaths and squealed like a teenage girl. Keith was still shirtless, and hot damn, he was very toned in the chest and stomach.

I motioned for Blue to follow me and swam to the shallow water. After taking another deep breath, I wiggled up onto the sand, making sure to keep my tail in the path of the tide. Keith was smiling when I looked at him. His hand ruffled my wet hair and his voice made the sweetest sound, a giggle. My heart melted there, I almost forgot about Blue. "This… T-this is Blue! He's one of my pets." I stammered. Keith smiled wider and looked into my eyes. "Is Blue safe to touch?" He asked. I nodded quickly and showed him how to pet the shark. As Keith stroked the animal, he chattered on about his day, explaining how much work he had to do on the house and how long it would take. He estimated about a month or two, if he really focused and worked from sunrise to dusk.

We talked for a while before I suddenly mentioned Shiro getting mad at me about the day before. "He doesn't want me to come up to the surface to see you. He can get scary when he's mad. Shiro is the one that cursed us, and I'm pretty sure he can take it away!" I explained. Keith's brow furrowed before he spoke. "If he doesn't want you coming up here, maybe there's a way I can go down there." Keith's voice was low, as if he was unsure. My mind raced with emotions, panic, excitement, fear of what Shiro would do were a few of them. "I think there is a plant near here, in the water, that can let you breath underwater for a while…" I said softly. Keith's eyes lit up and he gently gripped my shoulders. I could feel how rough, but soft, his hands were. My face turned a shade of coral red and my marks suddenly lit up brighter than before. Keith gasped as the light from both our marks made it impossible to see.

When the light died down, Keith was staring at his waist in horror and confusion. I blinked a few times to adjust to the light change and saw why he was confused. In place of his legs, was a dark red tail, following the same gradient I had, only to black towards his bottom fins. "What… what the fuck just happened?!" Keith screeched. What had just happened, I had no clue.


	5. Brother ? !

Keith's POV

I have a tail. I don't understand how, all I did was grab Lance's shoulders! Lance was equally as shocked, his blue eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. "All I remember was a bright light, I swear I'm not magical." Lance said quickly. I rubbed at my eyes and stared at the- no _my_ tail. I had to admit, it was pretty. The fade from red to black was stunning, but also vaguely resembled Lance's blue gradient. "We need to get you into deeper water, it's about to be low tide." Lance told me as he tugged on my arm. Our marks glowed softly when he touched me. I shrugged away from his touch and pulled myself through the sand into the water. Since I wasn't used to this damn tail, I sank. My arms clawed at the water as I tried to pull myself up. Seawater filled my lungs, but… it didn't burn. Lance appeared by my side and grabbed my arm, carefully looping it over his shoulders to help me stabilize.

"Breathe, Keith. The water will provide oxygen." I nodded and took a deep breath then exhaled, blowing bubbles in front of me. I spent a few seconds regulating my breathing before looking at Lance. His brown hair flowed around him, almost like a halo. He was meant for the ocean, while I was a complete stranger to it. "How do I swim?" I asked quickly. Lance laughed, it sounded like tinkling bells, it was so pure and beautiful. He moved my arm back to my side, then went to adjust me so that I was floating, not sinking, horizontally. Lance's hands guided my torso and waist in the proper position, while his pet shark lifted the end of my tail.

Lance carefully explained how to swim with the tail, while his gentle hands guided me through the motions. After a little while, I got the hang of it and could almost keep up with Lance. "Where are we going?" I asked him, as he grabbed my hand and led me deeper into the ocean. "I'm going to show you my home! You can meet Pidge and Hunk and Matt! Ooh! You can also meet my seahorse, name Jelly!" Lance's voice was filled with joy as we swam. Lance chattered on happily as I took in the world around me. Fish tickled my cheeks and arms as they swam by, their vibrant colors flashing before my eyes. Seaweed swayed in the gentle waters, animals played with each other. Bubbles obscured my vision for a second as Lance let go of my hand.

When my vision cleared, I saw a small village. Different colors of merpeople swam around, it was like a human neighborhood just more colorful and alive. People waved at Lance and he giggled and motioned for me to follow. I swam close behind him, wary of the cheery people around us. We entered a large home and Lance was immediately greeted with a big hug from a small girl. I swayed awkwardly in the doorway until Lance pulled me inside. "Pidgeon! Lookie this is Keith!" The girl studied me before glaring at Lance. "First off, it's Pidge. Second, isn't Keith the name of the human Shiro didn't want you seeing?" She asked. Her short hair was messy, despite the water attempting to tame it. A flurry of bubbles blocked my vision as a larger merman pulled Lance into a bear hug. "I was so worried! You stormed off without a word, Shiro and Matt have been looking everywhere for you!" He scolded Lance like a child.

Pidge continued to study me as I rubbed my arm, covering the scar on my arm out of instinct. The bigger merman looked at me and gave a small smile while looking back at his friend. "This is him, isn't it?" Lance nodded eagerly and grinned. The merman held out his hand for me to shake. I took it as he introduced himself. "Hey there, I'm Hunk. I'm guessing you are the infamous Keith?" Hunk gave a warm smile. I nodded and gulped, meeting these people was nerve wracking. "C'mon over to the kitchen, I made some lunch for everyone. I'm sure you also want to get properly introduced to us." Hunk laughed and waved for me to follow.

Pidge darted off to a bigger room while Lance and I followed Hunk. We sat down on these stools fashioned out of shells. I released a breath and introduced myself to Hunk. Lance's eyes were on my back, probably studying my tattoo. "It's a tattoo, Lance. Its when colored ink gets stabbed into the skin in different designs and patterns." I explained. His eyes lit up and he asked me to explain more. So, I did; seeing Lance's eyes light up made my heart melt.

I heard crashing and angry shouting from the room Pidge darted into. Lance went pale and Hunk winced. A large merman with black and white coloring suddenly came out of the room, his eyes glowing a bright purple. Pidge and another ginger haired merman followed close behind, begging him to calm down. Lance quickly moved in front of me, attempting to shield me from the black and white merman. "Lance! Why did you go back up to the surface?!" He yelled. I winced and peeked up from his shoulder, getting a good look at the other man. He was obviously older and pissed off. "Shiro, relax. We don't know how this happened, let Lance explain before you do something you regret." The ginger next to Pidge said gently. Shiro's face softened before catching sight of me, which caused him to go pale.

"Matt, let's stay out of this…" Pidge whispered. Matt sighed and pulled Pidge close, I assumed they were siblings since they looked alike. Lance gripped my arm and clenched his jaw. I watched as his muscles twitched, indicating that he was one step from blowing up. "Lance, maybe I should explain everything." I muttered. Lance's blue eyes flashed with relief and he moved from in front of me. I rose and stared into Shiro's unnatural purple eyes. The color faded and he rubbed his temples. "Everyone, into the sitting room. You, you better explain everything." He hissed while pointing at me.

Lance stuck close to my side as we all moved rooms. He insisted I sat next to him, as if he was trying to shield me from Shiro's wrath. Matt placed a gentle hand on Shiro's shoulder and smiled as Pidge laid down against his tail. Hunk sat next to them, on a separate couch and started smiling and chuckling as a giant, yellow catfish started looking for food around him. A small seahorse came out of nowhere and made purring noises as it nuzzled Lance's face. He started giggling and quickly introduced the creature as Jelly.

Shiro cleared his throat and glared at me, waiting for the explanation to start. I took a deep breath and felt Lance pat my shoulder, as if he was encouraging me silently.

"Let me start off with, none of this was Lance's fault. I decided to go swimming today, and randomly met him. Now for the beginning, We had met when I was a child, the day after my birthday. My father had gotten mad that we had befriended each other, and he tried to impale Lance with a harpoon gun. I had blocked his shot, resulting in the scar on my arm and the small one on Lance's tail. Fast forward to recently, I moved back into my childhood home on the beach. I'm a human, in case you were confused about that. I don't know what happened today, but I brushed up against Lance and there was this blinding light that blocked our vision. Next thing I knew, I had a tail. That's all." I knew I had hidden some of the truth, but I knew Lance was already in troubled waters with Shiro. I didn't want to add to it.

Everyone was silent before Matt spoke up. "Thank you for explaining the situation. I do notice something strange though… you and Lance have the same markings and same tail patterns. The only difference is you have red and he has blue." I nodded and looked down at my tail. "I read that only soulmates have identical markings and patterns!" Pidge piped up. Lance turned red as he hurried to shush her. I laughed nervously and rubbed the back of my neck. "I've had these since birth. I really don't think we could've been… _soulmates_ since then!" I made air quotations as I said soulmates.

Shiro was silent before he shot up and grabbed my upper arm with an iron grip. "We need to talk. Now." He muttered. Matt started to go after but Pidge held him back. Lance's eyes went wide with panic while I struggled against Shiro's grip. I heard Hunk say some comforting words to Lance before I was dragged outside of the house.

Shiro tossed me in front of him and jabbed a finger in my direction. "Tell me everything you know about your parents. Now." He demanded. I glared at him and rubbed my arm. "My father was an asshole and my mother disappeared after my eighth birthday. I was told she was lost at sea but I know she just wanted to get away from her freak child. Who would want a kid with bright red markings all over his face and arms." I spat. Shiro tugged at the white tuft of hair he had and sighed. "I should've known. She pulled the same damn stunt after cursing me with this god awful power." He hissed between his teeth. "Who? My mother?" I asked. Shiro laughed harshly before he turned his glowing eyes toward me. " _Our_ mother."

My breath hitched as I shook my head. "What do you mean? We are related?" Shiro rolled his eyes and huffed. "Yes, we are related. Our mother passed on this damn power to me, which allows me to curse humans and turn them into merpeople." He explained. I sat on the sandy ocean floor and tugged at my hair. "There's no way. She left! She never said anything about a-a-a brother!" I stammered. Shiro shrugged his shoulders and started swimming back towards the house. "WAIT!" I yelled, my voice cracking with unshed tears. "What now." Shiro snapped.

"You… you said that you cursed people. Am I one of those people?!" Shiro thought for a moment then put his hands on his waist. "Yeah. You are. There's one other, Lance will explain it if you ask." My face felt hot, was I crying? Can you cry in the ocean? Shiro swam away and Lance came darting out, quickly taking his spot at my side. I hiccuped and wiped at my eyes. _How would you react if you meet the brother you didn't know existed, find out that your mother had some sort of power, that you were cursed, and that said brother was an asshole?_ Lance rubbed my shoulders and didn't object when I buried my face against his neck and cried.


	6. Anger

**Chapter 6**

 **Lance POV**

* * *

Keith cried for a while before wiping his eyes and going silent. His blue grey eyes were red and puffy, which tugged at my heartstrings. "Do you need anything?" I asked awkwardly. Keith shrugged and stared out into the open ocean. His eyes wandered out to the drop-off and his jaw clenched. "I always wished for a sibling. I just never thought he would be an asshole." He muttered. I chuckled and propped myself up on my elbows. "Yeah, Shiro can definitely be one sometimes!" Keith's eyes glanced at me before returning to the drop-off. "Is he always that harsh on y'all?" Keith's voice had a strange twang to it, which made me laugh at the sound.

"What?" He cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brows.

"Your voice! It had a weird sound to it! Like… like a drawl?" Keith's cheeks turned a bright red when he realized what I was talking about.

I chuckled as he buried his head in his hands. "It's an accent. My father was from Texas, a big state in the south, and I guess the accent passed on to me." He said through his fingers. I patted Keith's shoulders but paused when the colored ink caught my eye. I lightly traced my fingers over bands of color, some looked like weirdly shaped clouds. I tapped a star on his shoulder blade and watched as Keith tensed up. Apologizing quickly, I drew my hand back.

Keith's hand darted out and grabbed mine before I could put it back down by my side. He placed my hand back on his back and didn't make eye contact. It seemed like he was silently letting me continue exploring the wide expanse of color. My fingers danced over stars and planets, Keith shivered as my fingers brushed over his spine.

"Why did you get this?" I whispered. Keith flicked his tail back and forth before inhaling deeply.

"When I was a boy, I always wanted to go to space. My dream was to go to the Garrison and become a pilot. It didn't last long before I was kicked out. I had done something stupid and my dream along with my education was shattered. When I was seventeen, I got this tattoo done over the course of a few months. I was close with the artist, since I worked part time at the shop." Keith paused and rubbed his shoulder, as if he could still feel himself getting the tattoo for the first time.

"I guess now that I'm stuck with this tail, I won't be able to see any inkling of space anymore." He grinned sarcastically and his words held an acidic undertone. "I'm cursed with a tail and some soul mate I never asked for! Oh don't forget that the asshat who did this to me, is my brother!" Keith laughed sharply and turned his icy gaze on me. "And you acting like you care just takes the cake! Why don't you go run along to your little friends and leave me alone, just like everyone else."

I felt my eyes prickle with tears. What had I done to deserve this? My mind struggled to find the right words to say as Keith shot up and glared at me. The moment we just had was thrown down into the abyss. "What did I do to you? I've just been trying to help!" I cried out. Keith scoffed and crossed his arm over his chest.

"You activated this god damn curse." With that, he was gone. Keith shot off towards the drop-off, leaving me hurt and confused. "I don't understand… I only wanted to help…" My voice was broken. I balled my hands into fists and swam back towards home. Whatever had gotten into Keith was beyond me, but I couldn't let his words affect me.

 **Unknown POV**

* * *

"Our little red fishie seems to have let his rage consume him. I wonder how much fun we can have with that." I chuckled darkly and rested my chin in my hands. I watched in the mirror as the red merman swam closer to my domain, the darkness of the drop-off.

A woman entered the room and grimaced at what I was watching. "Prince Lotor, your father wishes to see you." The woman's gravelly voice cut through my thoughts. "Yes… I'll be there shortly. Thank you Haggar." She nodded and glared at the mirror before exiting. "Red fish. I can't wait to play with you."


	7. Pain is all I felt

**Chapter 7**

 **Comfort**

Lance fought away tears as he sped toward home. Keith was being an ass but he was right. Lance had kickstarted his curse, he was the one that caused Keith to be upset. Yet why did Lance feel as if he had done nothing wrong?

The brunette brushed past Pidge, who watched him curiously. "Lance are you oka-" She started to ask. Lance waved his hand and sped away. Pidge tilted her head to the side and watched as he swam off towards the garden. She stopped fiddling with the plants in front of her. "Hey Hunk?" She called out. Hunk popped his head out from the nearby doorway and gave a soft smile.

"Yeah, Pidge?" He asked.

"I think Lance needs some help. He seemed to be upset about something." Hunk nodded and swam to her side.

"Let's go then. Tell Matt before you come with though. We don't want him freaking out again." Hunk chuckled and ruffled Pidge's hair. She nodded and darted inside to find her brother.

Shiro and Matt were curled up on the sofa together, Matt's fingers were running through his boyfriend's hair softly as they talked quietly. Pidge cleared her throat, startling the men. "What's up Pidge?" Matt asked. Pidge explained the situation and motioned towards the garden. Her brother nodded and gave a small smile while Shiro winced. "I shouldn't have been so harsh on the boys…" He whispered. Matt's eyes carried the pain that Shiro wouldn't show as he went back to running his fingers through his hair. Pidge waved to them and went back out to Hunk.

Hunk and Pidge made their way to the garden, passing Coran on their way. They waved and continued on their journey.

Lance had found a spot in the far corner of the garden. After making sure no one could find him easily, the repressed sobs came out. He pounded on the planters and sobbed until his throat was raw. It wasn't fair, Keith had his reasons to get mad but he should've realized that it wasn't Lance's fault!

Alerted by the sound of crying, Hunk and Pidge followed it until they found Lance. He had curled up on the ground, clutching his tail to his chest. Hunk quickly helped his friend up to a sitting position as Pidge found something for Lance to blow his nose with.

"H-He blamed everything on m-me a-a-and he was right! It's all my fault!" Lance wailed. He buried his face against Hunk's shoulder as Pidge rubbed his back. Hunk pulled Lance and Pidge into a bear hug, in hopes of calming Lance.

The trio sat together as it grew dark, Lance's cries stopped after a while. As he fought the numb feeling that ran rampant, Hunk left to go get them something to eat. Pidge furrowed her brows and sighed. "Lance… where did Keith go?" She asked. His shoulders slumped and he ran his fingers through his hair.

"He went to the drop off. I'm not sure where he is now, I left before he could see me cry."

Pidge's amber eyes widened when she heard this. The drop off was forbidden to go to, due to some horrible creatures that lived down there.

"He went to the drop off?! Lance do you remember how dangerous that is? He could get hurt!" She exclaimed. Lance had a sour look as he shrugged.

"Why should I care Pidge? He doesn't want me around." Pidge rolled her eyes and punched Lance's shoulder. "Don't talk that way, asshole. You know how upset he was. Remember that people say things they don't mean when they are pissed off."

Lance was silent before nodding, he was slowly understanding the situation….

 _I'm going to stop this here. You'd think that I would be heroic and go find my "soulmate" right? That would be the right thing to do. I didn't go and get him, not yet at least._

 _The pain I felt in those moments was too much to deal with immediately. I let it burn, I let the fires of hurt consume my heart and break me down from the inside out._

 _I was weak. I was vulnerable to everything. I was so, so weak. I did the worst thing possible, and now I live with the scars of my mistakes forever._

 _What did I do?_

 _I won't explicitly state it._

 _Though, if you can cut away the past… shouldn't you be able to do the same thing to the present?_


End file.
